Automobile.



No. 721,876. PATENT-ED MAR. s, 1903.

'F. L. FAY. r

AUTOMOBILE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1993.

N0 MODEL.

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" ATTORNEY THE Noam PETERS 0o, mom-umu, wasnmmou, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK L. FAY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL M.GREEN, OFHOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

AUTOMOBILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 721,876, dated March 3,1903. Application filed January 20, 1903. Serial in]. 139,728. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may c0ncern.-

Be it known that LFREDERIOK L. FAY,a citizen of the United States,residing at Holyoke, in the county of Hampden, State of Massachusetts,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobiles, ofwhich the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to automobiles; and it consists in the novelfeatures of arrangement and construction set forth herein.

Among the objects which I seek to attain are simplicity of construction,ease of riding, effectiveness, anddnrability.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 isa plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a rear end elevation, those parts mountedupon the body being omitted.

1 1 are front steering-wheels.

2 2 are rear Wheels,power being. applied through the latter.

3 is a forward axle, to which the wheels 1 1 are pivotally connected.

4 4 are knuckles projecting from the bearings for the steering-wheels 1l.

5 is a steering rod or handle.

6 6 7 are links connecting the steering-r0 with the knuckles 4 4. A

The form and arrangement of the steering mechanism is immaterial to thisinvention.

The body of the automobile is composed of flexible slats extending foreand aft. The length and number of the slats is immaterial. These slatsare suitably secured together, but not so as to render them inflexible.The forward part of the body is perfectly connected with the axle 3through the medium of springs 9. The rear part of the body is directlyconnected to the rear axle 10. Any vibration caused by traveling overthe road is absorbed in the body, which bends throughout its length. Bythe omission of the rear springs several advantages hereinafter setforth are attained.

11 is a seat for the rider, and the same is preferably positionedsubstantially midway in the length of thelfiexible body. 12 is a motormounted upon said flexible body between the forward and rear axles, sothat it will rise and fall with the yielding part of the body and sothat any severe jolting of the motor and its associated parts will beavoided.

13 is a chain passing over the sprocket 14 concentric with thedriving-wheel and passing over another sprocket or wheel driven by themotor. Since the motor is mounted upon a yielding portion of the body,it will rise and fall or oscillate around the axis in common to the axisof the sprocket 14. Hence the tension of the chain 13 will be uniformlymaintained irrespective of the oscillatory motion of that portion of thebody directly supporting the motor.

Various means may be employed for controlling the motor; but the sameare immaterial to this invention.

The brake mechanism may include a footoperated lever 15, connected withthe brake 151 by means of a suitable cord or rod 16. If desired,the'latter may be spaced slightly away from the body by means of aroller 17. The connection is such that it in no degree impairs theflexibility of the body.

18 is a hood covering a storage-compartment in the forward end of thebody.

19 is adashboard.

20 is a box underneath the seat 11, which may provide anotherstorage-compartment.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the springs 9 serve to absorbsome of the vibration between the steering-wheels and the seat. Thesesprings also compensate for some of the twisting strains encountered onan uneven road, thus relieving the body in this respect. The vibrationof the rear wheels is taken directly by the body; but the latter be ingflexible and being yieldingly mounted on the axle 3at its forward endabsorbs it to such an extent that no severe or objectionable jolts areexperienced by the rider nor imparted to the mechanism carried upon anyyielding portion of the body. It is to avoid excessive jolting that themotor and the associated parts are mounted forward of the rear wheels.

Heretofore much damage has resulted from the breaking of chains inchain-driven automobiles, due to variation in tension while on the road.By the constructionand arrangement illustrated and described herein itis ob vious that when the chain is once properly adjusted its tensionvis uniformly maintained irrespective of the load, the bend of the body,

or the unevenness of roads over which the vehicle is driven. Were thebody inflexible and were a spring located between the rear portion ofthe body and the rear axle, it is apparent that if the chain wereproperly adjusted before the rider mounted the vehicle such adjustmentwould be improper after the weight of the rider is added, because itwould cause the body to settle toward the axle and shorten the chain.struction if the vehicle is driven over rough roads and the body iscaused to jump unduly high tension would be put upon the chain, and thesame would be likely to break or bend the shaft, so as to throw thealinement out, and consequently impair the efficiency of the machine.Another advantage due to eliminating the spring between the body and therear axle is that it permits the body to be hung very low. Inasmuch asthe factor of safety is very much higher in vehicles in which the bodiesare placed low, it is manifest that this construction may attain thisadvantage to its highest degree, since the body is substantially on alevel with the axles, particularly when the seat is occupied.Anotheradvantage of hanging the body low is in the reduction of windresistance. As a direct result thereof a motor of light power may bemore efficiently employed than were the body higher and the normal windresistance relatively more.

What I claim is 1. In an automobile, a front and rear axle, wheelscarried thereby, a flexible body extending fore and aft and connected tosaid axles, the connection between the body and one of said axles beingdirect, a spring located between the other axle and the other end ofsaid body, a motor carried by a yielding portion of said flexible body,and means for connecting said motor with the driving wheel or wheels.

2. In an automobile, a front and rear axle, wheels carried thereby, abody composed of flexible slats extending fore and aft and con- Again,in such a connected to said axles, the connection between said body andthe rear axle being direct, a spring located between the body and thefront axle, a motor carried bya yielding portion of the flexible bodyand a connection between the said motor and the wheel or wheels on therear axle.

3. In an automobile, a front and rear axle, Wheels carried thereby, abody composed of flexible slats extending fore and aft and connected tosaid axles, a motor carried by a yielding portion of said body, and aconnection between said motor and the driving wheel or wheels.

4. An automobile including a flexible body extending fore and aft, afront axle and a rear axle, a rigid connection between said body and therear axle, a pair of springs secured at the front end of said body oneon each side and extending from the front end to be supported by thefront axle, and a motor mounted to move yieldingly with said bodyportion and means for connecting said motor with said rear axle, thedistance between the axial center of the rear axle and the axis ofrotation of the motor being substantially invariable.

5. An automobile including a flexible body extending fore and aft, afront axle and a rear axle, a rigid connection between said body and therear axle, a pair of springs secured at the front end of said bodyone oneach side and extending to the rear of said front end to be supported bythe front axle, and a motor mounted to move yieldingly with said bodyportion and means for connecting said motor with said rear axle, thedistance between the axial center of the rear axle and the axis ofrotation of the motor being substantially invariable.

Signed at Holyoke, Massachusetts, this 14th day of January, 1903.

FREDERICK L. FAY.

Witnesses:

A. O. LIVERMORE, A. N. LA PORTE.

